Drawers found in chests, stands, cabinets, furniture and the like typically employ locking mechanisms for security. For example, lateral file cabinets generally have a locking mechanism for use in locking one or more drawers in order to safely store files therein. Some locking mechanisms employ a lock that is attached to a drawer of the file cabinet and that is actuated by a user through a key. The lock engages an actuator located in the file cabinet when the drawer of the file cabinet is closed. The actuator is in turn connected to a lock bar that slides vertically with respect to the file cabinet.
Rotational motion created by turning the key in the lock is thus transferred into vertical motion of the lock bar. Typically, the drawers of the file cabinet include a drawer-locking clip that limits, through contact with a pin on the lock bar, movement of the drawer. In this manner, the drawers of the file cabinet may be locked.
Locking systems incorporated into file cabinets may tend to have certain disadvantages. For example, the lock and associated actuator may be located on one side of the drawer. Although the side of the drawer with the lock may be prevented from being opened, the opposite side of the drawer may be able to be opened a large distance, thus compromising the security of the file cabinet. Alternatively, the lock may be located at the center of the drawer. Such arrangement may be problematic in that a shaft used to communicate rotation of the lock to the actuator and/or the lock bar may interfere with files placed into the file cabinet.
Locking systems on file cabinets are also susceptible to improper locking by the user. For example, users sometimes will open a drawer of the file cabinet and turn the lock into a locked position even though the drawer is open. Upon closing the drawer, the lock is then not capable of being placed into the locked position in order to lock the file cabinet.
Various disclosures concern designs relating to locking systems, particularly relating to furniture which includes such as drawers, including the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,377 entitled Drawer slide latch and release mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,129 entitled Anti-tip interlocking linkage mechanism for vertical cabinets; U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,708 entitled Locking mechanism for drawer system; U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,437 entitled Lock for furniture closure; U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,257 entitled Safety lock system for cabinet with multiple drawers; U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,932 entitled Lock with key operated removable plug; U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,624 entitled Furniture anti-tip and lock mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,978 entitled Lock with key operated removable plug; U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,233 entitled Furniture locking system.
The disclosures of the foregoing United States patents are for all purposes hereby fully incorporated into this application by reference thereto.
The present subject matter provides for a locking system for drawers that improves upon and overcomes problems associated with current locking systems.